Through the use of common software structures, a network of computers known as the World Wide Web (Web), or Internet, enables vast and immediate interconnectedness for many users. Web technologies (such as hypertext markup language (HTML), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), Web servers and browsers) and a combination of software applications known as “Web services” allow customers to connect with businesses and businesses to connect with each other to conduct transactions over the Internet. In most cases, these technologies are standardized to provide an interoperable means for internet content providers and merchants to expose their products and services to end users.
A browser application installed on a client computer allows the user access to internet resources. This access, and movement around the Internet, is enhanced by the use of hyperlinks (“links”) within a Web page's HTML content, which defines the document. The link, typically a word in a text field or an image on a Web page, acts as a path that moves the user from one Web page universal resource locator (URL) address to another using HTTP by means of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP) collectively known as the TCP/IP suite of protocols. The movement from one URL to another allows near-instant access to information, products, and services and is particularly well-suited to the exchange of information, goods, and services between buyers and sellers. Such business is commonly referred to as “electronic commerce,” or “e-commerce.”
With the abundance of goods and services available on the Internet, a Web merchant seeks a method for competitively processing orders for its goods and services in a way that makes sense for its size, product line, available resources, and goals and objectives. For some merchants, self-hosting of the e-commerce functions and processes makes sense. These merchants may only require the basic catalog display, shopping cart and transaction processing functions. For others, however, more extensive features are required, or the merchant may desire integration of these basic features with its own inventory control, order processing and accounting systems and/or with other services and features. These highly integrated systems require flexibility and interoperability in order to interface applications with one another across organizations. The use of Web services allows communications between these programs, where neither system need know anything about the software with which it communicates.
A web service is a standardized way of integrating Web-based applications using the Extensible Markup Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and other open standards over an internet protocol backbone. XML is used to tag the data, SOAP is used to transfer the data. WSDL is used for describing the services available. These services provide the interoperability required to integrate a merchant's applications with another merchant or one or more service providers.
Unlike Web technologies, Web services are not meant to be displayed in a web browser or otherwise exposed to an end user. Instead, they allow communication between systems. XML is a framework for creating tags which convey the meaning of the information included within them. The meanings, or semantics, of the tagged data are described by an XML schema. The XML document is created in the sending system, and parsed and translated in the receiving system using that shared definitions provided by the schema.
WSDL is a standard published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which allows a service provider to describe Web services in an XML format as a set of endpoints operating on messages. It is used to describe and locate Web services. The WSDL allows endpoints and messages to be described regardless of the message formats or network protocols.
SOAP is used to send information over the internet. A SOAP message contains a way to bind the standard Web messaging protocol, HTTP, an envelope that specifies the start and end of the message, the message itself, and a header containing additional information related to the message being sent. An alternative to using SOAP is to use a Web Services Invocation Framework (WSIF), for which SOAP is one possible binding method. A WSIF is an open application programming interface (API) for invoking Web services regardless of how the Web services are provided. The API is a simple Java program. Rather than use a common message format, such as SOAP, the WSIF API allows application developers to interact directly with abstract representations of Web services through their WSDL descriptions.
Without privacy and security assurances, many customers would not purchase online. In addition to Web services, many Web applications use the popular, easy to use and effective Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption standard to ensure communication channel security. PGP uses public key cryptography to encrypt the contents of a shopping cart and to provide authentication. It provides a higher level of security than user names and passwords, which are also required to create or log customers into an online store account.
Taking advantage of the interoperability and flexibility provided by Web services allows a web merchant to distribute its business logic and strategy among several systems, applications and providers in order to meet its own e-commerce objectives.